Designer suggested for new city hall

Planing for Spokane Valley’s new city hall is picking up speed.

John Hohman, community and economic development director for Spokane Valley, told the City Council at its meeting Tuesday that the staff recommends Architects West Inc. to oversee the project.

Timing is a concern, Hohman said, because the city’s lease of the current city hall expires in two years.

Hohman showed a short conceptual video illustration prepared by Architects West of the new city hall located on the south side of Sprague Avenue by Dartmouth Street, with a broad crosswalk connecting it to a new library in Balfour Park.

Spokane Valley purchased 3.38 acres near the northwest corner of the University City Mall parking lot for nearly $1.3 million late last year, and city staff team has been working on the project since.

“The actual design process will be similar to what we went through with Balfour Park,” Hohman said. “There will be plenty of opportunity for public input.”

The City Council was in unanimous agreement to move the staff recommendation on to a motion for consideration next week.

Beekeeping lots

Also on the agenda Tuesday night was beekeeping. City staff recommends that Spokane Valley drop its 40,000-square-foot lot requirement for beekeepers, and instead allow one hive per 4.365 gross square feet of lot.

That’s consistent with regulations in Spokane and Spokane County.

If passed as suggested, Spokane Valley’s beekeeping ordinance will require that beekeepers provide an “adequate” water source to keep bees away from neighbors’ ponds and pools, as well as the construction of 6-foot tall flyway barriers to direct bees upward.

Setbacks would prevent hives from being placed in front yards, and beekeepers would be asked to obtain the lowest level of certification from the Washington State Beekeepers Association for a cost of $15.

The Planning Commission already recommends approval of the revised ordinance.